Smoke infested unit

Just moved into a unit where the previous tennants smoked up a storm! It's disgusting..

I asked the property manager to provide a copy of the receipt of the carpets being cleaned - she couldn't, all she said was it had been steam cleaned as the tennant showed her the receipt.

Already had the carpets cleaned professionally myself, I've taken all the blinds down and washed them, left the door open 24/7, still smells a bit and I'm not sure what else to do..

Does the property manager/landlord have to do anything, or do I have to suck it up and fix it myself? Or wait until my lease is up and find a new place?
 
on painted walls, when cleaning up after tenants get very good results with

Option 1
TSP per directions​
Option 2
1/2 bucket warm water,
1/2 cup plain ammonia,
1/4 cup white vinegar,
1/4 cup washing soda​

either cleaning product use
rubber gloves
glasess if working above your head, in your eyes, it stings
second bucket of water to rinse cloth/sponge in to not contaminate cleaning mix

dampen sponge in cleaning mix
scrub wall,
clean dirty sponge in rinse water squeeze as dry as poss (change brown smelly rinse water often) to keep mix clean

dampen sponge in cleaning mix
scrub wall,
clean dirty sponge in rinse water squeeze as dry as poss (change brown disgusting rinse water often) to keep mix clean

etc​
 
if you leave bowls with some bi-carb soda in them out that can help with getting smells out (i use in the fridge) i would even probably sprinkle some on the carpet and leave over night and then vac up. Ciggie smoke in house is just nasty :eek:

there is also some moose like carpet spray in a can you can buy at woolworths that gets rid of smells you just spray on and leave.

Best of luck
 
Does the property manager/landlord have to do anything, or do I have to suck it up and fix it myself? Or wait until my lease is up and find a new place?
Was it noted on the condition report? If not, then I can't see the landlord accepting responsibility. If you were happy enough with the property to rent it, and then didn't note it on the condition report, I can't see that you have any comeback.

If you talk to a carpet cleaner, there are some amazing and customised deodorising treatments these days; that may be worth a try.
 
I haven't done the condition report yet, what's it for? I thought it was the standard we had to leave the unit in once we moved out.
 
Do the condition report now.

It is the standard that you will have to meet when you leave the unit - i.e., you must leave the unit in the same condition as when you entered it.

If you don't mention the smoke smell and it lingers, you may be blamed for it and the cost of rectifying taken from your bond.

So fill out the report in minute detail, noting every scratch and nail hole in the walls. Be very picky.
Marg
 
I had my tenants today just copy everything I wrote (the house isn't impeccable but its certainly down the 'good' end of the spectrum). I only noted any existing damage - I have photos.

Wish I'd known about the vagaries of PMs and entry condition inspections when I moved into a house with truly disgustingly filthy carpet and they made ME steam clean it. Once on going in because it was hideous on the initial inspection - using their cleaner, they insisted - and once on moving out because it was a condition of renting through them. My carpet cleaner actually got the carpet clean, theirs didn't. Of course by this stage I was getting pretty desperate to rent a house, this was one of the few I could look at after work (why do PMs insist on only letting you in 9-5 monday to friday?) and this one just happened to have an inspection with the PM running over an hour late during a major rainstorm. Everyone else left, I stuck around.
 
Don't forget to contradict the inbound condition report anywhere it says anything incorrect, especially about the smell and uncleanliness, and mention anything you had to do to rectify it. Ensure you return a copy to the landlord before the time limit and staple your receipts for cleaning products to your copy. Obviously the agent or owner doesn't give a %#*& about the inbound condition because they can't make money out of that,but it's amazing how picky they can be against you when you're moving out and money can be charged to you but not necessarily spent on cleaning ready for the next hapless tenant. Hmmm.
Take heaps of photos and store on CD, give a copy to the landlord with the condition report.
Cheers
crest133
 
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